Gwendolyn Pieper Left Taos to Learn and Returned to Serve

As a student at Taos High, Gwendolyn Pieper carried a dream she barely spoke aloud: she wanted to go to an Ivy League school.

But like many rural students, she didn’t know if her dream was realistic. After a disappointing PSAT score, she says she gave up on the idea entirely. “My family couldn’t afford the tuition, and I didn’t see a path.”

What she did have was a family who believed in her and Bridges counselors who did too.

Bridges guided Gwendolyn through an early-decision application and explained that Cornell was “need-blind,” meaning if she got in, her financial aid would match her need.

Suddenly, a childhood dream became possible.

Gwendolyn was accepted and graduated from Cornell in 2020. She then pursued a master’s degree in landscape ecology from the University of Hohenheim in Germany.

Today, she’s back home in Northern New Mexico as co-director of Rivers & Birds, helping young people understand their land, their power and their possibilities.

Gwendolyn is committed to giving back to her community and holding the doors of opportunity open for others. “It’s hard to dream without knowing what is possible,” she says.

We agree. This Giving Tuesday, your generous gift will help young people in Taos County see what’s possible and reach for it.

Will you make a tax-deductible Giving Tuesday donation to Bridges Project for Education?

Gwendolyn Pieper

Gwendolyn (far right) back in Northern New Mexico and helping the next generation of local kids realize their own dreams.

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